Pallets are the foundation of unit loads and supply chains. They provide a way to store and transport products in an efficient manner. The load capacity of pallets greatly depends on the type of packages carried by the pallet; however, current pallet design methods do not consider the effect of packages on the load carrying capacity of the pallet. This results in excessive use of materials which reduces the sustainability of unit loads, drives costs up, and creates issues for people in the supply chain. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a corrugated box's size and head space on pallet deflection and stress distribution on the top of the pallet as a function of pallet stiffness across multiple pallet support conditions. Data analysis identified that box size had a significant effect on the deflection of the pallet. This effect was only significant for warehouse racking across the width and length support conditions. As much as a 53% reduction in pallet deflection was observed for high stiffness pallets supporting corrugated boxes with 25.4 mm headspace when the size was increased from small to large. Meanwhile, no significant effect of box size was found for other supports. The effect of headspace was significant in some scenarios but inconsistent thus more investigation with a larger sample size is recommended. In addition, redistribution of vertical compression stresses towards the supports was observed as a function of the increasing box size. The increased concentration of compression stresses on top of the supports and the resulting lower pallet deflection could significantly increase the actual load carrying capacity of some pallet designs. / Master of Science / Pallets are the foundation of unit loads and supply chains. They provide a way to store and transport products in an efficient manner. The load capacity of pallets greatly depends on the type of packages carried by the pallet; however, current pallet design methods do not consider the effect of packages on the load carrying capacity of the pallet. This results in excessive use of materials which reduces the sustainability of unit loads, drives costs up, and creates issues for people in the supply chain. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a corrugated box’s size and head space on pallet deflection and stress distribution on the top of the pallet as a function of pallet stiffness across multiple pallet support conditions. The data from the study identified that box size does have an effect on the deflection of the pallet but, it was only found to be significant for the warehouse racking supports. The highest reduction in pallet deflection was 53% on the high stiffness pallets carrying corrugated boxes with 25.4 mm of headspace as the boxes increased in size. The other support conditions showed no significant effect of the box size. Headspace showed some significant effect in some conditions but was found inconsistent, therefore an investigation with a larger sample size is recommended. In addition, the redistribution of vertical compression stresses towards the supports was observed as a function of increasing box size. This increase in stress on the supports resulted in lower pallet deflection that could significantly increase the actual load carrying capacity of some pallet designs.

Denna studie kommer att handla om ideellt arbete och det som deltagarna i ideella organisationer kan få ut av sitt engagemang. Ideellt arbete är en grundpelare i dagens samhälle och det finns många av oss som i någon utsträckning engagerar sig eller har engagerat sig ideellt. Det ideella arbetet har en stor betydelse i samhället och spelar en viktig roll i samhällsutvecklingen. Med en bas i socialt kapital och tidigare forskning om ideellt arbete har denna studie med hjälp av kvalitativa intervjuer undersökt vad yrkesverksamma vuxna individer får ut av att engagera sig ideellt, studien visar att studiegruppen har gynnats karriärmässigt av att vara ideellt engagerad samt fått ett utökat kontaktnät som de på olika sätt har kunnat använda sig av i sitt vardagsliv. / This study aims to examine voluntary work and what the participants in non-profit organizations can gain from their commitment. Non-profit work is a cornerstone of today's society and there are many of us who to some extent engage or have been volunteering. Voluntary work is of great importance in society and plays an important role in the development of our society. With a base in social capital and previous research on voluntary work, this study has, through qualitative interviews, investigated what working adults can benefit from by engaging in voluntary work. This study shows that the study group has benefited career-wise by being voluntarily engaged and given an extended contact network, which they have been able to use in various ways in their everyday lives.

An exploratory, descriptive qualitative design was used to describe and explore how the students experienced their clinical accompaniment in a specific programme. The researcher conducted a tape recorded interview to a 14 individual students, who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study, transcription followed, then data analysis was done following the steps as described by De Vos, Srydom, Fouché and Delport (2005:334) citing Creswell (1998:142) where open coding leads to themes and subthemes. From the findings of this study it was discovered that the students experienced dissatisfaction in terms of their development of clinical skills to competence as they were not given an opportunity due to negative circumstances around their training. Recommendations were made to improve clinical accompaniment of student nurses for all involved so that the student nurses acquire clinical skills, knowledge and values. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Thesis (MCurr)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Exposure to the clinical learning environment forms an essential part of nursing education. Being a nurse lecturer in the private sector, the researcher observed that bridging course learners do not always perform academically as satisfactorily as they should. For the purpose of the current study, the researcher investigated enrolled bridging course learners’ perspectives related to factors influencing their learning in the clinical environment. The study focused on bridging course learners in the private sector. The objectives of the study were to determine whether the following was valid for the population under consideration: - a shortage of staff is a barrier to learning in the clinical environment; - an orientation programme has been implemented for bridging course learners in the clinical environment; - bridging course learners in the clinical environment have to take charge of wards; - the attitude of staff members is a barrier to the learners’ learning experience. - there is a learner/mentor relationship in the clinical environment; - opportunities to gain practical competence exist in the clinical environment. An exploratory descriptive design with a predominantly quantitative approach was applied. The population for the study consisted of bridging course learners at the three private nursing colleges in the Cape metropolitan area (N = 89). Due to the small size of the population, all available learners who voluntarily gave consent were included in the study. The sample size for this study constituted 62% (n = 55) of the target population. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data, and both open and closed ended questions were used. Reliability and validity were assured by means of a pilot study and the use of experts in the field of nursing education and statistics. Data were collected personally by the researcher. Ethical approval was obtained from the Committee for Human Science Research at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University. Statistical associations were determined using the Spearman and Mann-Whitney U tests. The results of this study are presented in percentages and tables. The majority (n = 46/84%) of the participants disagreed that the staffing in units was sufficient. Most (n = 40/73%) participants disagreed with the statement that working conditions were conducive to learning. Qualitative analysis revealed that the participants perceived the clinical environment to be hostile, and the majority (n = 47/85%) of the participants agreed that staff members had a negative attitude towards them. Furthermore, only five (n = 5/9%) participants indicated that they always spent time with their mentor, and the majority (n = 36/65%) of the participants disagreed with the statement that they could achieve specific outcomes before moving to another ward. A shortage of staff, being placed in charge of wards in the absence of a registered nurse, negative attitudes of staff members, and the lack of a mentor–learner relationship were identified as factors that impacted negatively on learning in the clinical environment. Several recommendations, grounded in the study findings, were identified, including: - Sufficient staff should be on duty to improve the learning environment, in order for learners to achieve their outcomes according to the curriculum. - Learners should receive adequate supervision and support. - Sufficient time should be allocated for practical procedures, such as releasing learners on practical days to practise procedures. Factors influencing enrolled bridging course learners’ learning experiences in the clinical environment were identified. Strategies to address these factors may improve their clinical experiences and ultimately their clinical competence. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Blootstelling aan kliniese leer omgewing is ’n grondliggende deel van verpleegonderrig. As ’n verpleeglektrise in die privaat sektor, het die navorser tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat oorbruggingsleerders nie akademies na wense presteer nie. Vir die doel van hierdie studie het die navorser die faktore geëvalueer wat die kliniese onderrig van oorbruggingsleerders gedurende hul plasing in die kliniese omgewing beïnvloed. Die ondersoek konsentreer op oorbruggingsleerders wat in die privaat sektor werk. Die oogmerke van die studie was om te bepaal of: - ’n personeeltekort onderrig in die kliniese omgewing belemmer; - daar ’n oriënteringsprogram vir oorbruggingsleerders bestaan; - oorbruggingsleerders die bevel oor eenhede moet oorneem; - leerders personeelgesindhede as ’n hindernis ervaar; - daar ’n leerder/mentor-verhouding in die kliniese omgewing is; - geleenthede vir praktiese onderrig geskep word. ’n Beskrywende, verkennende studie met ’n oorwegend kwantitatiewe benadering is uitgevoer. Die studiebevolking was oorbruggingsleerders (N = 89) wat die drie privaat verpleegkolleges in die Kaapse metropool verteenwoordig. As gevolg van die klein populasie het alle leerders wat vrywillig hul toestemming verleen het, aan die studie deelgeneem. Gevolglik is ’n steekproef (n = 55/62%) van die teikenpopulasie geneem. Die navorser het ’n semi-gestruktureerde vraelys gebruik om data in te win en beide oop en toe vrae was gevra. Betroubaarheid en geldigheid is deur middel van ’n proefstudie sowel as die gebruik van deskundiges op die gebied van verpleegonderrig en statistiek verseker. Die navorser het die data persoonlik ingesamel. Etiese goedkeuring is van die Gesondheidsnavorsingsetiekkomitee van die Fakulteit Geneeskunde en Gesondheidswetenskappe van die Universiteit Stellenbosch verkry. Statistiese korrelasies is met behulp van die Spearman- en Mann-Whitney-U-toetse ondersoek. Die resultate van die studie word in die vorm van persentasies en tabelle aangebied. Die meeste deelnemers (n = 46/84%) reken daar is nie voldoende personeel in die sale nie. Voorts dink die meeste (n=40/73%) ook dat werksomstandighede nie onderrig bevorder nie. Kwalitatiewe ontleding toon dat die deelnemers die kliniese omgewing as bedreigend beskou, en die meeste (n = 47/85%) is dit ook eens dat personeel ’n negatiewe houding teenoor hulle openbaar. Slegs vyf deelnemers (n = 5/9%) het aangedui dat hulle altyd tyd saam met hulle mentor deurbring, terwyl die meeste (n = 36/65%) erken dat hulle nie hulle studie-uitkomste bereik alvorens hulle na ’n ander saal oorgeplaas word nie. Die studie bevind dat ’n personeeltekort, om in bevel van eenhede geplaas te word in die afwesigheid van ‘n geregistreerde verpleegkundige, personeel se negatiewe houding, en die gebrek aan ’n mentor/leerder-verhouding van die faktore is wat onderrig in die kliniese omgewing benadeel. Verskeie aanbevelings word op grond van die studiebevindinge gedoen. Dit sluit die volgende in: - Daar behoort genoegsame personeel aan diens te wees om die onderrigomgewing vir leerders te verbeter en hulle sodoende in staat te stel om hul studie-uitkomste volgens die kurrikulum te behaal. - Behoorlike toesig oor leerders moet verseker word. - Leerders behoort op praktiese dae van ander werk vrygestel te word ten einde hul prosedures te voltooi. Faktore wat die leer ervaring van oorbruggings leerders in die kliniese omgewing beinvloed was identifiseer. Strategieë wat hierdie faktore adresseer, kan hulle kliniese ervaring asook hul kliniese vaardigheid verbeter.

Historically turbulence modeling has been sharply divided into Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS), in which all the turbulent scales of motion are modeled, and large-eddy simulation (LES), in which only a portion of the turbulent spectrum is modeled. In recent years there have been numerous attempts to couple these two approaches either by patching RANS and LES calculations together (zonal methods) or by blending the two sets of equations. In order to create a proper bridging model, that is, a single set of equations which captures both RANS and LES like behavior, it is necessary to place both RANS and LES in a more general framework.The goal of the current work is threefold: to provide such a framework, to demonstrate how the Flow Simulation Methodology (FSM) fits into this framework, and to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the current version of the FSM. To do this, first a set of filtered Navier-Stokes (FNS) equations are introduced in terms of an arbitrary generalized filter. Additional exact equations are given for the second order moments and the generalized subfilted dissipation rate tensor. This is followed by a discussion of the role of implicit and explicit filters in turbulence modeling.The FSM is then described with particular attention to its role as a bridging model. In order to evaluate the method a specific implementation of the FSM approach is proposed. Simulations are presented using this model for the case of separating flow over a "hump" with and without flow control. Careful attention is paid to error estimation, and, in particular, how using flow statistics and time series affects the error analysis. Both mean flow and Reynolds stress profiles are presented, as well as the phase averaged turbulent structures and wall pressure spectra. Using the phase averaged data it is possible to examine how the FSM partitions the energy between the coherent resolved scale motions, the random resolved scale fluctuations, and the subfilter quantities.The method proves to be qualitatively successful at reproducing large turbulent structures. However, like other hybrid methods, it has difficulty in the region where the model behavior transitions from RANS to LES> Consequently the phase averaged structures reproduce the experiments quite well, and the forcing does significantly reduce the length of the separated region. Nevertheless, the recirculation length is signficantly too large for all cases.Overall the current results demonstrate the promise of bridging models in general and the FSM in particular. However, current bridging techniques are still in their infancy. There is still important progress to be made and it is hoped that this work points out the more important avenues for exploration.

Policy-makers, project planners and development organisations are becoming convinced that the failure of the new socio-ecologically sensitive strategies co-opted by 'professional' forestry could be better addressed by indigenous forestry. They believe that indigenous forestry might assist with the development of successful forestry projects that are ecologically sustainable and socio-politically equitable. In order, however, to learn from indigenous forestry systems, the acculturation of foresters in the vernacular culture of the forest users appears to be an essential process for understanding and intervening in a local forest management complex. Acculturation entails not only more attention to the immaterial cultural realm, but an understanding of multiple resource stewardship, local ways of knowing and perceiving, local forest values and 'practices of care'. While acknowledging the significance of the politics of knowledge and political ecology this study examines resource stewardship from an alternative neglected angle that of knowledge sustainability and synergistic bridging. It will examine in general modes of knowing and bridging between 'formal' and indigenous forestry knowledge, and in particular the identification of forest value paradigms that are evidently exemplars of bio-cultural sustainability. The main outcomes of this study include the cognitive mapping of forest values among 'Tibetan minority nationalities' in Eastern Kham, their spatial distribution and the coincidence of changes in forest values with cultural or biophysical phenomena. Conceptually this study relies heavily on knowledge-system, hypertext, and paradigm theory and a critique of the narratives of John Locke. The former provide a platform to compare and contrast alternative knowledge systems and a means of synergistic bridging between them and the latter encapsulates a trajectory of western knowledge often known as modernity. The quantitative methods employed in this study included text analysis for forest value identification, multidimensional scaling for the cognitive mapping of forest values, spatial analysis and kriging for forest value distribution, and boundary or wombling analysis for changes in forest values and their coincidence with cultural or biophysical phenomena. The latter four methods are groundbreaking in that they have never been used to study forest values before. The study concludes that there is compelling evidence suggesting homogeneity in forest values with up to 5 geospatial paradigms and up to 12 cognitive paradigms. The findings, especially close correlation between forest values and ethnolinguistics, provide a potential template for foresters to develop multiple models of natural resource or biodiversity stewardship based on local forest values. In terms of the wider application, indigenous knowledge cannot seemingly be sustained if it is integrated with or into western knowledge systems due to the lack of conceptual frameworks for cross-cultural epistemological or psychological integration. Coalescing under the rubric of post-modernism, however, we do find a number of complimentary trajectories, which seemingly provide space for knowledge equity, sustainability and bridging. These trajectories include hypertext theory, paradigm theory, abductive logic, adaptive management, ecospiritual paradigms, and post-modern forestry paradigms. These trajectories and findings offer planners globally a means for synergistic bridging between local and non-local knowledge systems on the road to sustainable forestry and biodiversity stewardship.

Current practice for sample size computations in clinical trials is largely based on frequentist or classical methods. These methods have the drawback of requiring a point estimate of the variance of treatment effect and are based on arbitrary settings of type I and II errors. They also do not directly address the question of achieving the best balance between the costs of the trial and the possible benefits by using a new medical treatment, and fail to consider the important fact that the number of users depends on evidence for improvement compared with the current treatment. A novel Bayesian approach, Behavioral Bayes (or BeBay for short) (Gittins and Pezeshk, 2000a,b, 2002a,b; Pezeshk, 2003), assumes that the number of patients switching to the new treatment depends on the strength of the evidence which is provided by clinical trials, and takes a value between zero and the number of potential patients in the country. The better a new treatment, the more patients switch to it and the more the resulting benefit. The model defines the optimal sample size to be the sample size that maximises the expected net benefit resulting from a clinical trial. Gittins and Pezeshk use a simple form of benefit function for paired comparisons between two medical treatments and assume that the variance of the efficacy is known. The research in this thesis generalises these original conditions by introducing a logistic benefit function to take account of differences in efficacy and safety between two drugs. The model is also extended to the more general cases of unpaired comparisons and unknown variance. The expected net benefit defined by Gittins and Pezeshk is based on the efficacy of the new drug only. It does not consider the incidence of adverse reactions and their effect on patients’ preferences. Here we include the costs of treating adverse reactions and calculate the total benefit in terms of how much the new drug can reduce societal expenditure. We describe how our model may be used for the design of phase III clinical trials, cluster randomised clinical trials and bridging studies. This is done in some detail and using illustrative examples based on published studies. For phase III trials we allow the possibility of unequal treatment group sizes, which often occur in practice. Bridging studies are those carried out to extend the range of applicability of an established drug, for example to new ethnic groups. Throughout the objective of our procedures is to optimise the costbenefit in terms of national health-care. BeBay is the leading methodology for determining sample sizes on this basis. It explicitly takes account of the roles of three decision makers, namely patients and doctors, pharmaceutical companies and the health authority.

The present thesis deals with different methods of financing home constructions in the Czech Republic provided through mortgage loans and loans from building societies. In the first part of the thesis, I describe both main products, mentioning briefly their history in the territory of the Czech Republic. The advantages and disadvantages of both options are also pointed out. In the empirical part, I used comparative analysis to compare both products' profitability with respect to the client. The aim of the present thesis is not only to give specific details on the functioning of mortgage loans and building society accounts, but also and most importantly to discover, which one of the studied products is more beneficial for the client, once the client chooses to finance a new home through this kind of products.

Anti-TNF alpha antibodies were among the first approved antibody drugs and now belongs to the best-selling drugs. Today, several companies are developing biosimilars to those drugs which will increase the access of medications and potentially reduce health care costs. There is a great demand for pharmacokinetic assays for anti-TNF-alpha drugs and the bridging assay format is a potential tool, mostly due to its high serum tolerance. This project at Gyros Protein Technologies AB aimed to investigate the properties of the solid phase on the Gyrolab and to utilize this to optimize the bridging assay to be used as a pharmacokinetic assay for a human antibody in the presence of serum. The solid phase was optimized by incorporating three reagents with increasing molecular weight and examining the column profiles generated. Furthermore, the capture reagent was titrated with b-BSA to avoid cross-binding of both arms of the antibody to the capture reagent. Since the background was relatively high, further optimization was done to reduce background and increase the signal to noise ratio. The performance of the optimized bridging assay was compared to alternative PK assay formats. The estimated sensitivity of the bridging assay was 5 ng/ml compared to 250 ng/ml for the indirect antibody assay and 2.5 ng/ml for the bridging assay using an anti-idiotypic antibody as detect. The optimized bridging assay performed well without dilution in buffer and was therefore used for affinity determination of Humira in neat serum. Variable concentrations of TNF-alpha were added to a fix concentration of Humira to compete with the interaction. Calculated KD-values were similar regardless of whether the measurements were performed in neat serum or after dilution in Rexxip buffer.

Research related to culture, and analysis of the collected information needs frameworks to understand and solve the complex questions about cross culture behaviour and their integration, particularly when a company with strong native cultural influence starts its operation in another country which has similarly strong local culture. Using Hofstede and Trompenaars, Hampden’s dimensions of cultural understanding, this study aims to understand and assess the challenges related to integration of cultures, when Swedish MNC IKEA started its IT Operation in Shanghai, drawing conclusions about how and if the cultural behaviours did fit the existing frameworks and underlining the cultural gaps still existing in the organisation.